Cassius macumbeb



G. MA'UUMBER. MACHINE FOR DRAINING SUGAR.

Patented July 2, 1867.

'TO ALL WHOM IT,MAY CONCERN:

GA'SSIUS MACUMB-ER, OF AURORA, ILLINOIS. Letters Patent No. 66,241, dated July 2, 1867.

IMPBO VEMENT IN MAGlI INES FOR DRAINING SUG AR.

Gite .Stlptnltnictret in in llltSt ltcttcrs ifiitmt animating part if it: time.

Be it known that I, OASSIUS MACUldBER, of Aurora, in the county of Kane, and State of Illinois, have. invented certain new and useful improvements in Centrifugal Machines for Draining Sugar; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being. bad to the annexed.

drawings of the same, which make 'part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the machine, embracing my improvements.

Figure 2 represents a vertical section of the same, taken at the line as w of fig. 1.

Figure 3 represents a top view of the machine.

Figure 4'represents a horizontal section, taken at the line 0 o of fig. 2.

Figure 5 represents in elevation the fixed and revolving disks detached from the machine.

In the accompanying drawings, A, represents a metallic frame,uponwhich-the receiving and draining apparatus and the gearing are mounted. This frame is braccd and supported in any suitable manner. A cast-. iron base-plate, B, is fixed upon the frame-A, having a circular trough, 0, formed round its circumference to receive the sirup, and to insure its proper discharge. This trough is inclined, and is provided with an opening,- D, at its lowest side, through which the sirup escapes.' To the circumference of this circular base a fixed sheetiron curb, E, of suitable depth and diameter, is secured. Within this fixed curb is placed a revolving separator of less diameter, so as to leave an annular space, F, between them. This separator is supported by and secured to a vertical hollow shaft, G, having its bearings in a cross-piece, H, of the fixed base, and a bracket, 1, o'fthe supporting frame, sons to leave aspace between the bottom of said separator and the trough-G of the baseplat'e. This separator is caused to revolve to'the right, and is composedof 'two separating surfaces-an inner one, J, and an outer one, K-forming a series of chambers between them. These separating surfaces are vertical, and secured at their lower edges to the circumference of a bottom plate, M, keyed fast to the hollow shaft G, and at their upper edges to an open cap-plate, O, forming a receiver, 1:. The outer one of these screens is made of heavy smoke-stack iron, andis perforated with holes of suitable mac, and the inner screen J is made of wire cloth or othersuitable material, the, meshes of which are 'iiiuch finer than those of the outer screen K, and the chamber between these screens is divided by inclined partitions c, the object of which will be presently described. .A. solid shaft, R, passes through the hollow shaft G, and extends both above and below it, and is stepped into and supported by brace-bar, S, at the bottom of the frame, while its upper end extends into the receivingchamber P, just midway between the top and bottom. Upon the upper end of thisshaft is mounted a horizontal circular disk, T, ofa diameter about equal to half that of the receiving-chamber, and his provided with four vertical parallel wings U, which project equally above and below the disk, leaving a s'ufiicient space between their lower edges and the bcttom of the receiver for the unobstructed deposit of the sugar, and a sufiicient space between their outer edges and the inner screen for their proper action. The disk T audits boaters revolve to the left, and the heaters U ure'not'placed radial to the disk, but tangential to a circle greater than half the diameter of thedisk, so that the boaters present an oblique surface to the inner screen, which I have found to be much better than placing them radial, because, whcn so placed, their tendency is to carry the sirup continuously round, but placed as described, they assist the centrifugal action, and throw'the sirup outward. The sirup is received upon the disk and thrown outward in a horizontal sheet, and the heaters strike it and turn it into a vertical sheet,throwing it equally against the screen. Thetwo screens which form the separator, and through which the sirup passes, are -not placed close together, so that the one adjoins the other, for that has already. been'done without relievingthe constant tendency to clog, but'I place them a suitable distance apart, and strengthen and support them by a series of partitions, c, placed at equal distances apart between. the two ecreens,nt an angletangential to a circle concentric with the disk T,*so, that they shall present inclined surfaces to the'air as the screens revolve. The partitions thus arranged form a-series of chambers between the two screens, through which the. sirup passes, and the inclined positions of these partitions cause the sirup tobe discharged from the outer screen in a direction opposite to the rotation of the separator, as indicated by the arrows in fig. 4, and falls into the trough G, and" the *sugar being thus quickly rendered light and dry, falls upon the bottom of the receiver P. This keeps the separator, clear, because, in addition to the blast from the heaters tbrough'the meshes of the screens, each chamber creates an outward draught,by the action of the ail pgainst the inclined sides ofthe partitions. A revolving separator thus constructed of a series of draught-. chambers possesses the requisite strength so necessary to a rapidly revolving screen, while, at the same time, its meshes arc kept free, and the sirup is-separated from the sugar the moment it strikes the inner screen. In centrifugal draining machines it is o f' the first importance to obtain an equal distribution of the sirup against the screenthat is to-s aiy, in, a thin sheet instead of a thick stream-and various devices have been contrived to effect this result, none of which, sofar as I know, serves the purpose effectually. In my machine the sirup is introduced upon a rapidly revolving disk, which of; itself I have found not .answer the desired purpose, andhave therefore combined with this revolving disk, a fixed disk, T, placed immediately above'it, and s pended by a funn'elshaped receiver, T attached to aplate, T, fastened to the fixed curb. Between these two disks I place a small cone, T fixed to the revolving disk and projecting above the fixed disk into the funnelreceiver. By this construction the sirup is fed into the funnel upon the small cone '1, which directs it outward equally on all sides to the circumference 0tthe revolving. disk, while the fixed disk T prevents its splashing upward,'and assists the action of thecone T in causing it to pass'rapidlyoutivard in a thin sheet to the heaters. The space between the cone and the receiving funnel must be suflicient-toallo v the sir-up to pass freely downward, and the space between the fixedand revolving disks must'be such as to allow the proper action of the cone and beaters.- The gearing consists of a cog-wheel, V, mounted upon a horizontal shaft, V secured in bear"- 'ings in the 'frame, and having at each end a 'cranlc'handle, a a, by which it is; turned, and a pinion, W, into which said wheel V matches, mounted upon a horizontalshaft, w, secured inbearings 'directly beneath the driving-shaft. Upon this pinion-shaft is also mounted a bevel-wheel, X, into which engage two bevel-pinions, Y and Z, arranged one above the othcr.the lower one, Y, upon the endofthe shaft which carries the disk and heaters, and the upper one, Z, upon the lower end of the hollow shaft which carries the separator. To'cfiect this, however, and obtain the opposite -motions for the disk and separator, the horizontal-shaftsv lVn ust be placed to one side of the vertical shafts; in which case, it will be seen, the ordinary radial gear-teeth of the bevel-wheel and pinions will .not match. To obviate this, the teeth of the bevel-wheelare scflobliquely, and the teeth of the pinions are also set obliquely, so as to match withfthe teeth of the bevel-\vheeh The diameter of the several wheels must be such as to produce a uniformmotion of the separator and heaters, and the proper. velocity. 'The fixed and 'revolvingdisks are secured in such manner as to allow their removal in order to remove the sugar from the receiverqvhen necessary.

Having thus described my improvements, I claim- 1. Constructi ng'the revolving separator of a series of draught-chambers, by means of the inclined partitions, substantially as described. 7

2. The arrangement and combination 'of the revolving and-fixed disks T T", and cone T, for the purpose and in the manner substantially as. described. 7

3. Placing the heaters obliquely on the revolving disk for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name.

v CASSIUS MACUMBER: Witnesses:

L. D, TARBLE, 'Joi'm EDDY. 

